Denver to Phoenix? Am I nuts? (smog, cities, places)

[karly1964]

How weather feels to an individual is a personal experience. I expect there to be various opinions and that's what I want. If everyone felt exactly the same about it I could simply ask one person and be done, I wouldn't ask a forum. Nobody is wrong, it's how that person experiences it. I welcome the different opinions.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by karly1964

How weather feels to an individual is a personal experience. I expect there to be various opinions and that's what I want. If everyone felt exactly the same about it I could simply ask one person and be done, I wouldn't ask a forum. Nobody is wrong, it's how that person experiences it. I welcome the different opinions.

I'll take our mid 70's for highs vs South Florida's mid 80's with humidity every time. Both locations with the addition of Southern California have the best weather in the Winter. Here in the Winter is also when all the big events are here (college bowl games, golf tournaments, auto shows, sometimes a Super Bowl, etc). Unfortunately the population probably grows by 10% or more so traffic is worse and getting into restaurants is harder. It really is close to perfect most days though.

[Coldjensens]

This thread caught my eye because my daughter just moved from Yuma to Denver - the opposite. In some part her move was because she could not stand the weather (She also could not stand how Arizona treats teachers, but that is true of most Az teachers. They rarely stay for more than a couple of years it seems). She found the winters to be wonderful, but the spring/summer/fall hot season difficult to tolerate.

The debate over 118 vs 120 is funny to me. When I drove out there with my daughter and then stayed a few days, it was over 110 pretty much the whole time. There is no noticeable difference between 110 and 116 or 118. It is simply too hot to go outside. Your best hope is early morning or late evening, but it is still at least 90s then. while 115 is crazy hot, 99 is still HOT. Basically you ran out started the car, ran back in and waited for the AC to do its thing. Then you ran to the car, drove to your destination and ran inside. Even a few minutes in that heat is unpleasant and begins to suck the life out of you.

I also found that the measurable temperatures in places was somewhat hotter than the official temperature announced on the radio. So if Yuma official temp was 115, you would find many places that were at 118.

She said the hot hot hot time is about 4 months with a few days here an there where it drops below 95 and becomes tolerable. However Pheonix is not quite as hot as Yuma. The bigger problem for her was the dust/smoke and other crud always in the air. She had bronchitis for half the year and as a music teacher, that creates problems.

Another side note, for my wife and I we grew up in changing weather states (MA and MI) and then moved to California where the weather really does not change much. We found we missed the change, especially her. We missed thunder storms and rain and big puffy clouds. We even missed cold/snow (at least she did). While we returned to MI after 18 years in California for other reasons, I can say my wife was really happy to get back to a place that actually has weather. After our first year she said she did not realize how much she missed it until we came back. My outlook is a little different, I could probably survive an unchanging perfect every day climate for the rest of my life. However I too missed the changes, clouds, storms etc. just not as much.

I am not saying not to move there, but go with your eyes open.

Oh BTW as to winter, my daughter lived in Yuma for 2 years and does not own a coat or jacket (which may be a problem in Denver).

Also at least in Yuma they have problems with flooding in winter (the whole areas becomes flooded with retired Canadians) Not sure whether Pheonix has that issue.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

This thread caught my eye because my daughter just moved from Yuma to Denver - the opposite. In some part her move was because she could not stand the weather (She also could not stand how Arizona treats teachers, but that is true of most Az teachers. They rarely stay for more than a couple of years it seems). She found the winters to be wonderful, but the spring/summer/fall hot season difficult to tolerate.

The debate over 118 vs 120 is funny to me. When I drove out there with my daughter and then stayed a few days, it was over 110 pretty much the whole time. There is no noticeable difference between 110 and 116 or 118. It is simply too hot to go outside. Your best hope is early morning or late evening, but it is still at least 90s then. while 115 is crazy hot, 99 is still HOT. Basically you ran out started the car, ran back in and waited for the AC to do its thing. Then you ran to the car, drove to your destination and ran inside. Even a few minutes in that heat is unpleasant and begins to suck the life out of you.

I also found that the measurable temperatures in places was somewhat hotter than the official temperature announced on the radio. So if Yuma official temp was 115, you would find many places that were at 118.

She said the hot hot hot time is about 4 months with a few days here an there where it drops below 95 and becomes tolerable. However Pheonix is not quite as hot as Yuma. The bigger problem for her was the dust/smoke and other crud always in the air. She had bronchitis for half the year and as a music teacher, that creates problems.

Another side note, for my wife and I we grew up in changing weather states (MA and MI) and then moved to California where the weather really does not change much. We found we missed the change, especially her. We missed thunder storms and rain and big puffy clouds. We even missed cold/snow (at least she did). While we returned to MI after 18 years in California for other reasons, I can say my wife was really happy to get back to a place that actually has weather. After our first year she said she did not realize how much she missed it until we came back. My outlook is a little different, I could probably survive an unchanging perfect every day climate for the rest of my life. However I too missed the changes, clouds, storms etc. just not as much.

I am not saying not to move there, but go with your eyes open.

Oh BTW as to winter, my daughter lived in Yuma for 2 years and does not own a coat or jacket (which may be a problem in Denver).

Also at least in Yuma they have problems with flooding in winter (the whole areas becomes flooded with retired Canadians) Not sure whether Pheonix has that issue.

I disagree. There is a difference between 110 and 118 to me. But, weather is subjective as someone else pointed out. Anything below 90 is chilly to me. I find someplace between 95 and 108-ish to be absolutely perfect, unless I am in the pool, then any temp above 110 is also great. I have yet to feel a temp that was too hot for me to go outside. I do so as often as I can, and it never sucks the life out of me; it actually has the opposite effect! I do not miss real seasons, I don't need things to change that way, I am happy to be someplace that doesn't have "real weather." I don't like to wear coats or jackets...or SOCKS! Again, that's me. YMMV.


The "debate" about 118 vs. 120 isn't a debate really on how it feels but on official record highs which some of us take seriously, apparently! Some parts of the valley did hit above that 118 mark last month, I think, but the official temp is always what is recorded at Sky Harbor, so that is what was discussed. There will always be a fluctuation of a few degrees here and there depending on exactly where you are.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by asufan

I guess I'm incorrect with my own personal experience

To tell someone youll only need a coat for 5 days in winter here is wrong. Thats all I was saying. I dont know a single person who walks around during winter nights w/o a coat. There might be a day or two here and there where the lows are in the 60s, and I can see a few people not wearing coats in that weather, but a typical winter night a coat is most definitely needed.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

To tell someone youll only need a coat for 5 days in winter here is wrong. Thats all I was saying. I dont know a single person who walks around during winter nights w/o a coat. There might be a day or two here and there where the lows are in the 60s, and I can see a few people not wearing coats in that weather, but a typical winter night a coat is most definitely needed.

I wear shorts year round, 350+ days a year. Many of the people I know do as well. There's only a handful of days more is needed. Sure if you go out in the really early morning or late at night it will be colder. Some of us are better at handling temperature changes I guess but low temps in the 50's generally does not necessitate a coat.

[smoochaz]

OMG - Can we start a new category on this forum for "WEATHER" -- it's getting ridiculous to weed through these never-ending "warnings" of how hot it actually gets here comparing experiences - IT'S HOT WE GET IT - when a poster asks how hot does it get here - we can just point them to the subcategory - we are so much more than our HEAT! I don't even think about it anymore - just thinking out loud - is anyone else just sick of this topic always being brought up?!!!

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by smoochaz

OMG - Can we start a new category on this forum for "WEATHER" -- it's getting ridiculous to weed through these never-ending "warnings" of how hot it actually gets here comparing experiences - IT'S HOT WE GET IT - when a poster asks how hot does it get here - we can just point them to the subcategory - we are so much more than our HEAT! I don't even think about it anymore - just thinking out loud - is anyone else just sick of this topic always being brought up?!!!

Its Phoenix. Its always a talking point because we are the hottest big city in the States, and in the top 10 in the world. You dont think they talk about the weather in Fairbanks, AK, too? Its just natural I guess.

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

But, weather is subjective as someone else pointed out. Anything below 90 is chilly to me.

Wow, you must feel like a popsicle and that you live down in Antarctica during the winter time, when the highs in the Valley are sometimes "only" in the 50s and 60s!

[locolife]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

Its Phoenix. Its always a talking point because we are the hottest big city in the States, and in the top 10 in the world. You dont think they talk about the weather in Fairbanks, AK, too? Its just natural I guess.

But is it a top 10 miserable weather city? I used to think it was really bad here but then I taveled the globe a bit after time in the Middle East, India and Asia I truly believe we have it good here and people that complain just don't know any better.

Here's a write up on Bangkok for example:

This smoggy, humid city was named the planet's hottest city by the World Meteorological Organisation. Bangkok has an average annual temperature of about 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The possible exception is late December and early January.
Although temperatures soar much higher elsewhere in the world, Bangkok makes our list for the simple fact that its hot here for so long and there's little respite. Even at night, temperatures barely drop so the heat is unrelenting. As the Telegraph notes, Bangkok is "rather uncomfortable all year round."